She longed for affection but feared human contact. Unable to experience reality as other children could, Temple Grandin was quick to anger, easily overstimulated, and isolated. Facing ceaseless waves of terrifying nerve attacks, she was a child heading into a dark abyss of autism. But within her lonely world, Temple's creativity, intelligence, and yearning for emergence refused to die.

Now Temple tells the story of that Emergence, of how she went from a fear-gripped, autistic childhood to become a successful professional, a world leader in her field. An astonishing true story, a chronicle of perseverance, courage, and the loving wisdom of a few adults who saw in Temple what others couldn't, Emergence will give new hope and new insight into the tragedy of autism and the vast potential of the human spirit.

I stood at one of the windows and watched the moon rise up behind the mountain range to meet the stars. A feeling of relief flooded me. For the first time in months I felt safe in the present and hope in the future. A feeling of love and joy enveloped me. I'd found it! The door to my Heaven. Thoughts that had blown through my mind randomly now seemed significant. I'd found it! A visual symbol. All I had to do was walk through the door.

That night I wrote in my diary: "When I look out the windows of the Crow's Nest, I feel something more....I must conquer my fears and not let them block my way."

She longed for affection but feared human contact. Unable to experience reality as other children could, Temple Grandin was quick to anger, easily overstimulated, and isolated. Facing ceaseless waves of terrifying nerve attacks, she was a child heading into a dark abyss of autism. But within her lonely world, Temple's creativity, intelligence, and yearning for emergence refused to die.

Now Temple tells the story of that Emergence, of how she went from a fear-gripped, autistic childhood to become a successful professional, a world leader in her field. An astonishing true story, a chronicle of perseverance, courage, and the loving wisdom of a few adults who saw in Temple what others couldn't, Emergence will give new hope and new insight into the tragedy of autism and the vast potential of the human spirit.

I stood at one of the windows and watched the moon rise up behind the mountain range to meet the stars. A feeling of relief flooded me. For the first time in months I felt safe in the present and hope in the future. A feeling of love and joy enveloped me. I'd found it! The door to my Heaven. Thoughts that had blown through my mind randomly now seemed significant. I'd found it! A visual symbol. All I had to do was walk through the door.

That night I wrote in my diary: "When I look out the windows of the Crow's Nest, I feel something more....I must conquer my fears and not let them block my way."